Australia’s talent should exploit A-League woes: Tony Popovic

MELBOURNE – The A-League’s financial woes may be tough on clubs but the situation provides a huge opportunity for Australia’s young talent to push for international selection, according to Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.

The Australian top flight’s 20th season has been hit by cost-cutting, as administrators move to rein in recent years’ losses by slashing annual distributions to clubs from A$2 million (S$1.7 million) to A$530,000.

Popovic said the financial squeeze was challenging on the clubs and could affect whether they can run academies to develop players. But strict salary cap rules would also offer more local players a chance to make their mark as more costly international players would be shut out of the league.

Administrators will introduce a hard salary cap of A$3 million for players’ wages in the 2026-27 season, with an exemption for one marquee player outside the cap.

“If you’re a good young player in Australia at the moment, you should be really happy,” Popovic told reporters.

“The bosses of the clubs and people putting money into the game, they’re doing it very hard. (But) from a playing side, the young players are really flourishing at the moment. With the cuts for the salary cap you can only envisage that getting even stronger.

“From a playing point of view and Socceroos coach, I’m delighted to see all the youngsters playing. That obviously helps us and helps the Under-20s, Under-23s.”

A-League players made up more than a third of Popovic’s Socceroos squad in the last World Cup qualifying window, and he is likely to include another big local contingent for the upcoming matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Australia are second in Asia’s Group C behind already-qualified Japan, the world No. 15 regional heavyweights they face in Perth on June 5.

The top two teams secure an automatic ticket to the 2026 Finals which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Australia, ranked 26th, have not lost a qualifier since Popovic took over from Graham Arnold in 2024, and held Japan to a 1-1 draw in Saitama last October.

“We know we’re in a good position but we’re playing the best team in Asia now,” he said of the Japan test.

“The challenge is, can we put on a better performance now than we did in Japan? We know we got a great result (there). Can we play better? That’s what I’d love to see happen to show our growth since that match.” REUTERS